


Witness

by amine



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horror, M/M, One-sided obsession, Serial Killers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 16:22:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10948248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amine/pseuds/amine
Summary: "Someone was watching him. He could feel it. There were eyes burning into the back of his head no matter where he went on campus."





	Witness

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, please heed the violence warning. It's definitely not just for show.
> 
> Second, this was part of my 30 Meetings project, but I thought it best to post it separate since it is quite...different. I feel a little bad putting the pairing tag on there since this is definitely not a mutual thing.
> 
> But, as a horror fan, I'm pleased with this one, so hopefully you'll enjoy it, too. :)b

_Series of Violent Murders Continues!_

Alfred wrinkled his nose as he read the headline on the newspaper his twin was reading across the table and shoveled a spoonful of Frosted Flakes in his mouth to try to distract himself from thinking about the details he’d heard on the news not twenty minutes before. Another victim, so thoroughly torn to pieces that identification was near impossible. Once again there was no evidence to speak of that might indicate who the culprit was.

Alfred shivered, glad at least that the news broadcast hadn’t included any visuals. After the first murder, he’d made the mistake of clicking on the attachment of an email one of his buddies had sent him, although in his defense it had promised something awesome, and was greeted with the gruesome sight of the victim. Blood, flesh and bone spattered in what would be an almost artistic fashion if not for the fact that it was the remains of a person. Alfred had vomited then and there, and he suffered from nightmares for weeks. Not that he ever told any that. He put on his usual tough front, he was a hero, after all. Still, he was relieved to see that the murder had taken place in another county, even if it wasn’t the same one as last time. Or the time before.

“I hope they catch whoever keeps doing this.” Matthew’s voice interrupted and Alfred once again saw the reason to be a strong hero when he noticed Matthew’s troubled expression. Alfred sat up a little straighter in his chair.

“Don’t worry about it too much, Mattie! You’ve got a hero to protect you, you know!” Alfred tried to sound confident, although his brother gave him a skeptical look and sighed.

“Don’t go doing reckless things, Al. Well, more reckless than usual, at least.” He sighed again as he carefully folded up the newspaper.

Alfred waved his hand dismissively and quickly wolfed down what was left of his cereal. “Hey, you know me! When have I ever done anything reckless?”

Matt just stared at him, and the unspoken ‘do I really need to list _everything_?’ came through loud and clear with just that glance. Alfred shrugged and grabbed his backpack as he headed for the door.

“I’ll be out a little late tonight, I’ve gotta finish up on a paper that’s due tomorrow. If Mom calls, tell her to send more cookies, all right?”

“Didn’t you get that assignment weeks ago?”

“Can’t hear you, Mattie! Bye!”

* * *

Alfred was jarred awake by an irritable librarian reminding him that the library was closed and he needed to leave immediately. Alfred groaned and realized that he must have fallen asleep while working on his paper. A quick glance at his watch revealed just how late it was and he swore under his breath as he gathered his things and was quickly ushered out. There wouldn’t be a bus that went by his and Matt’s apartment at that hour, which meant he’d have to make the trip on foot. To his great disconcertion, Alfred also realized that the charge on his iPod was completely depleted. What a time to not have tunes to distract him from the long walk ahead of him. He’d have to convince Matt that they _really_ needed to get a car or at least move somewhere closer to campus.

He started whistling to distract himself as he ambled casually with his hands shoved in his pockets, thinking of ways to convince Matt that a move was in order, and then he heard it.

A guttural sound, like someone was in pain, was coming out of the alleyway near where Alfred was walking. Alfred frowned, his hero complex starting to kick into full gear, and he ran into the alleyway to see if he could help whoever it was. His nose was immediately accosted by a horrible smell, one that reminded him of dissection days in biology class, only far more potent.

A rather frightening sense of foreboding ran like a cold chill down his spine, but he pressed onwards into the alleyway despite it. He turned the corner around the back of the building and stopped short.

There was a man there. No, perhaps it was a woman. There was just no telling anymore. All that he could see in the faint light of a distant light post was that this person was being easily torn to pieces. All he could do in his frozen horror was watch as flesh was torn, bones and organs flying along with the sickening sound accompanying the crunching of bones, the ripping of flesh. Then there was the blood, it was everywhere. Pooling around the body, splattering the nearby buildings, landing just short of Alfred’s feet. The contents of Alfred’s stomach rapidly made their way to his throat, but he caught himself before he could vomit. He doubled over retching regardless and blinked against the tears stinging at his eyes. What had he seen? 

As he kneeled on the pavement trying to catch his breath, suddenly the light from the lamp post went out and the alleyway was drowned in an eerie silence. Alfred started trembling and although every nerve in him screamed for him to run _now_ , he found he couldn’t move. He’d always been afraid of the dark, even though he never admitted it, and in this case the fear of death accompanied his fear of the darkness. He looked up towards where the body had been and waited. He waited until finally in the blackness before him Alfred could see green eyes gleaming in the darkness. They were honestly _glowing_ at him, like two little lights, and that was enough for Alfred’s adrenaline to kick in, his fight or flight instinct easily settling on flight.

He stumbled backwards, tripping painfully over several garbage cans in the meantime, and hurriedly crawled to his feet despite the shooting pains in his leg. He ran the remainder of the way home despite the pain in his legs and the burning in his lungs, never looking back once.

* * *

“What the hell did you do last night, Al?!” Matt asked as he examined the angry bruises that were forming on Alfred’s leg.

Alfred shrugged, trying to appear impassive despite how shaken he really felt. “You know those librarians. Stay on the computer too long and they’ll literally kick you off.”

Matt raised a skeptical brow and shook his head. “Well, you better email your professors and let them know you won’t be in class today. You better stay off that leg at least for today.”

Alfred froze. He _could_ stay home, but he was afraid to be alone. Whatever it was might have followed him back there, but it could follow him around campus if he went to class. He could ask Matt to stay home as well, but no, if whatever that thing was had followed him home, he couldn’t endanger Matthew’s life. No, it was better to be around large groups of students where he’d be safest.

The news playing in the background caught his attention, where a reporter detailed the latest violent murder, in his own town. In that alleyway, blood everywhere, entrails strewn, bone crunching and breaking far too easily…

“Al?” Matt interrupted and Alfred jerked his head up.

“It’s cool, Mattie! I’ve gotta hand in that paper anyway or the prof will kill me, you know! Then Mom’ll kill me and you’ll kill me, and I’d rather avoid all that! I’ll be careful not to put too much weight on my leg, don’t worry.”

He cringed a little at his use of the word ‘kill’ but the point got across. Matt nodded, albeit hesitantly, and helped Alfred to the door.

“Well, call me if you need anything, or call Francis, he has no classes today.”

Alfred scoffed. “If I call Francis, he’ll just take advantage of the situation.”

Matt chuckled nervously and let Alfred lean on him as they made their way out of the apartment. Even though he chatted animatedly to his brother like usual, Alfred couldn’t help the nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach and the sense that something was still terribly wrong.

* * *

Someone was watching him. He could feel it. There were eyes burning into the back of his head no matter where he went on campus. Out on the sidewalk, in the buildings, while he grabbed lunch. He’d even been called out for disrupting class when he’d looked desperately around for whoever was watching him and had to sit in a terrified silence all through class lest his eyes wander and he be asked to leave.

After the most stressful day of classes he’d ever had, and he hadn’t even had any tests that day, Alfred was thankful to take the bus back to his apartment. He should have stayed home, after all. Maybe that would have just been worse.

He pushed his way inside and waited for his brother to greet him. When there was no greeting, Alfred’s heart started beating a little faster.

“Mattie?” He called into the apartment as he flicked on the lights, and he walked right by the note attached to the refrigerator, never even noticing it.

“Mattie?” 

No one was around. The whole apartment had been dark before he’d switched on the lights. Maybe Matt was sleeping. He heard a thud from his room and he could swear his blood turned to ice. He had to leave, he had to leave now. Although his common sense screamed to get the hell out of there, he walked slowly down the hall to his room. He pushed the door open, switching on the lights and expecting the worse. He froze.

Instead of his brother’s unrecognizable body like he’d been dreading, instead he found his and Matt’s cat, Hero, sitting on the nightstand, having knocked over Alfred’s alarm clock for the umpteenth time. Alfred let out a relieved sigh and replaced the fallen clock on the stand.

“Hey, Hero. Don’t scare me like that, okay buddy?” He chuckled and reached out to scratch the cat’s ears.

Instead of purring and arching into his touch, the cat instead bristled, his pupils dilating as he hissed menacingly at something behind Alfred. Once again Alfred froze, the hairs on the back of his own neck standing up. He heard and felt his heart pounding in his ears, his palms getting sweaty, his blood running cold once more. If he didn’t turn around, maybe whatever it was would go away. No, there was nothing there at all. Hero was just angry at him. Cats were fickle like that.

But try to explain away his fears though he might, Hero was _definitely_ staring at something behind Alfred, not _at_ him. Alfred swallowed and turned…

To find nothing there. Maybe he was just going crazy, maybe he’d been so worked up over news of all those murders that he’d imagined the whole thing. Kiku was always saying his imagination was too overactive sometimes. He sighed again and turned to chastise Hero for scaring him once more.

“Hello, Alfred,” a man said pleasantly as Alfred turned around. Alfred gasped and stumbled backwards, falling onto his ass as he did so. The man had green eyes— _those_ green eyes—which were watching him with a great deal of amusement.

But then Alfred realized that the man, no, not a man, some sort of creature—it _knew his name_. He swallowed the lump in his throat and staggered to his feet. Whatever it was walked sedately around Alfred, blocking his exit out of the room.

Alfred trembled violently and just knew that he was going to piss his pants. Hopefully he’d be as utterly torn to pieces as the other victims had, so Matt and everyone else would likely believe he’d gone down fighting like a man instead of shaking like a lost child.

“Relax, lad. I’m not planning to hurt you, I would like to ask you something.” Its British accent would have been a comfort if Alfred didn’t know that he was about to die a horrible, violent death. This was no human, no human could tear a person apart like that, and this wasn’t a pleasant exchange. Alfred didn’t say a word.

“Tell me, Alfred, what did you see?” It was dangerously close to his ear. Alfred’s breath hitched.

He wanted to say that he’d seen nothing, nothing at all, so please don’t kill him, but his tongue was pasted to the roof of his mouth. He looked fearfully away from the thing standing so close to him, but he heard it tsk and then it appeared in his front view once more.

The door was wide open, he should run, but his legs were frozen in place. Hero was still hissing and making frightening noises as he backed away from the mysterious being in the room. The lights abruptly went out and Alfred started.

“What did you see, Alfred?” 

In the faint light Alfred could see the outline of sharp teeth set in a dangerous grin…


End file.
